Five teams can be forced to do Hard Knocks

Posted by Michael David Smith on January 1, 2019, 5:42 PM EST

AP

The last thing most NFL coaches want during training camp is to be followed everywhere they go by cameras and microphones. Which means NFL teams rarely volunteer to appear on Hard Knocks, the behind-the-scenes reality show that documents training camp. Which means the NFL sometimes forces it on a team that doesn’t want to do it. And in 2019, five teams run the risk of being forced on Hard Knocks.

By league rules, teams can be forced to do Hard Knocks if they haven’t done the show in the last 10 years, haven’t been to the playoffs in the last two years, and don’t have a new head coach.

The teams that have done the show in the last 10 years are the Browns, Buccaneers, Rams, Texans, Falcons, Bengals, Dolphins and Jets.

The teams that have been to the playoffs in the last two years are the Patriots, Ravens, Texans, Colts, Chiefs, Chargers, Cowboys, Eagles, bears, Saints, Rams, Seahawks, Bills, Steelers, Jaguars, Titans, Panthers and Falcons.

The teams that will have a new head coach this year are the Packers, Browns, Bengals, Dolphins, Jets, Cardinals, Buccaneers and Broncos.

The teams that are on none of those three lists are the Lions, Raiders, Giants, 49ers and Washington. Those five teams can be forced to do Hard Knocks.

Of those five teams, the Raiders would appear to have the most interesting storylines, with Jon Gruden trying to turn the team around, the newly arrived G.M. Mike Mayock, and the franchise’s current uncertainty about its 2019 home. Don’t be surprised if Gruden and Mayock move from ESPN and NFL Network to HBO.

juliusanonymous says:
January 1, 2019 at 5:50 pm
Washington shouldn’t be on any NFL films properties until they finally wake up and realize that a racial slur isn’t an appropriate name for an NFL team in the 21st Century.

Raiders would be an awesome choice! There’s just so many angles that would make for good TV. The Vegas move and the story that will come with whatever place they call home in 2019. The Mayock hiring and his subsequent “learning on the job”. Gruden and how some players haven’t bought in. The three 1st round draft choices this year and 2 next! The Derek Carr and whether he’s a franchise QB or not. It just goes on and on.

And you heard it here first. Don’t be surprised if Carr is traded mid-season next year, especially if the Raiders are heading into a top 3 draft pick. This years QB class is weak, but next years class could be incredible. So with 2 1st rounders next they could be in a spot to pick a QB early or package the 2 1st’s with something else and get the number 1 pick. Lots, and lots of pending drama will make them an excellent HK choice.

jasons81 says:
If it ends up being the Lions it’ll be interesting to see how often Matt Patricia and food are in the same shot.
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The problem is that they’ll have to pay the crew a lot of overtime, waiting for Patricia to show up for team meetings and other official functions.

I like that teams that made the playoffs the past 2 years is a criteria. Basically hey all the good teams don’t have to worry about this intrusion. We will just make the bad teams put up with this crap.

Do the redskins, so they can show the total ineptitude of Bruce Allen and Snyder. Fire Allen. Snyder you are awful and a local government would be absolutely nuts to give you a new stadium after the way you have degraded Fedex Field

49ers would be interesting. I’d like to see Shannahan do his thing.
Lions. Patricia seems like a weird enough guy to make it interesting.
Raiders, well, Chucky would be entertaining. Especially with all the bs floating around that team.

You’d never see a Belichick coached NE team on Hard Knocks regardless of the the “requirements” because Kraft wouldn’t want folks to see the secret to just how Darth Hoodie coaches up his team week in & week out regardless of the opponent !

firerogergoodellnow says:
January 1, 2019 at 5:49 pm
If somehow the Pats missed the playoffs two straight years, Bill Belichick would retire to avoid being on Hard Knocks.
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The Sun has a better chance of extinguishing…

I hate this except I get to see inside my Raiders during the offseason. But i guess hbo and nfl know this is their chance. Cause after the raiders make the playoffs next year, that chance will be gone. Maybe they don’t choose raiders and just rolll the dice on the Vegas season though.